Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to auditory prostheses, and more particularly, selecting audio signals for auditory prostheses.
Related Art
Auditory prostheses are provided to assist or replace the perception of hearing for affected individuals. Such devices include cochlear implants, middle ear implants, brain stem implants, implanted mechanical stimulators, electro-acoustic devices, and other devices which provide electrical stimulation, mechanical stimulation, or both.
In the everyday sound environment, the auditory prosthesis recipient listens to a target sound, typically speech, in the presence of background noise. In most environments, the locations of the target sound and noise sources are not the same. For example, source of speech is often in front of the auditory prosthesis recipient as the recipient is usually looking at the person talking. On the other hand, the source(s) of noise are often on the side or other locations relative to the recipient when the recipient is facing the speaker.
Background noise interferes with speech understanding, and if the level of noise approaches that of the target signal, the auditory prosthesis recipient is unable to effectively distinguish the target sound from the noise. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is one measure of this influence of noise upon the target sound signal; a high SNR implies relatively low noise while a low SNR implies a relatively high noise level.